What is the Wiccan Religion?

Question

Is it evil? Does it worship Satan? Who is their god? What is it about? Is it about Magic? Can you really cast spells? Do the spells really work? Please tell me everything because I have no clue what it really is about? What do they believe happens when they die? Do they hate christians? Do they believe in God?

Answer 1

No honey we dont worship Satan, in fact we dont believe he exists!
Wicca (sometimes called Wicce, The Craft, or The Old Religion by its practitioners) is an ancient religion of love for life and nature.

In prehistoric times, people respected the great forces of Nature and celebrated the cycles of the seasons and the moon. They saw divinity in the sun and moon, in the Earth herself, and in all life. The creative energies of the universe were personified: feminine and masculine principles became Goddesses and Gods. These were not semi-abstract, superhuman figures set apart from Nature: theywere embodied in earth and sky, women and men, and even plants and animals.

This viewpoint is still central to present-day Wicca. To most Wiccans, everything in Nature - and all Goddesses and Gods - are true aspects of Deity. The aspects most often celebrated in the Craft, however, are the Triple Goddess of the Moon (Maiden, Mother and Crone) and the Horned God of the wilds. These have many names in various cultures.

Wicca had its organized beginnings in Paleolithic times, co-existed with other Pagan ("country") religions in Europe, and had a profound influence on early Christianity. But in the medieval period, tremendous persecution was directed against the Nature religions by the Roman Church. Over a span of 300 years, millions of men and women and many children were hanged, drowned or burned as accused Witches. The Church indicted them for black magic and Satan worship, though in fact these were never a part of the Old Religion.

The Wiccan faith went underground, to be practiced in small, secret groups called "covens" For the most part, it stayed hidden until very recent times. Now scholars such as Margaret Murray and Gerald Gardner have shed some light on the origins of the Craft, and new attitudes of religious freedom have allowed covens in some areas to risk becoming more open.

How do Wiccan folks practice their faith today? There is no central authority or doctrine, and individual covens vary a great deal. But most meet to celebrate on nights of the Full Moon, and at eight great festivals, or Sabbats throughout the year.

Though some practice alone or with only their families, many Wiccans are organized into covens of three to thirteen members. Some are led by a High Priestess or Priest, many by a Priestess/Priest team; others rotate or share leadership. Some covens are highly structured and hierarchical while others may be informal and egalitarian. Often extensive training is required before initiation, and coven membership is considered an important commitment.

There are many branches or "traditions" of Wicca in the United States and elsewhere, such as the Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Welsh Traditional, Dianic, Faery, Seax-Wicca and others. All adhere to a code of ethics. None engage in the disreputable practices of some modern "cults", such as isolating and brainwashing impressionable lonely young people. Genuine Wiccans welcome sisters and brothers, but not disciples, followers or victims.

Coven meetings include ritual, celebration and magick (the 'k' is to distinguish it from stage illusions.) Wiccan magick is not at all like the instant 'special effects' of cartoon shows or fantasy novels, nor medieval demonology; it operates in harmony with natural laws and is usually less spectacular - though effective. Various techniques are used to heal people and animals, seek guidance, or improve members' lives in specific ways. Positive goals are sought, cursing and evil spells' are repugnant to practitioners of the Old Religion.

Wiccans tend to be strong supporters of environmental protection, equal rights, global peace and religious freedom, and sometimes magick is used toward such goals.

Wiccan beliefs do not include Judeao-Christian concepts as original sin, vicarious atonement, divine judgment or bodily resurrection. Craft folk believe in a beneficent universe, the laws of karma and reincarnation, and divinity inherent in every human being and all of Nature. Yet laughter and pleasure are part of their spiritual tradition, and they enjoy singing, dancing, feasting and love.

Wiccans tend to be individualists, and have no central holy book, prophet, or church authority. They draw inspiration and insight from science, and personal experience. Each practitioner keeps a personal book or journal in which s/he records magickal 'recipes', dreams, invocations, songs, poetry and so on.

To most of the Craft, every religion has its own valuable perspective on the nature of Deity and humanity's relationship to it; there is no One True Faith. Rather, religious diversity is necessary in a world of diverse societies and individuals. Because of this belief, Wiccan groups do not actively recruit or proselytize; there is an assumption that people who can benefit from the Wiccan way will 'find their way home' when the time is right.

Answer 2

BRittany, Wicca is a WHOLE set of Religions. NO it is NOT evil. Wicca does NOT include the worship of Satan nor any other Devil. Satn is a product of the Abrahamic Faiths and has NO equivalent in Wicca. Wicca is the Religion and has nothing to do with Magick, per se. Many Wiccans DO practice Magick, however but magick is not a necessary part of being Wiccan. Basicaly, in simple terms, a spell is little more than a prayer with a few props. Yes spells DO work, just as any other prayer works. As long as the purpose is morally right, harms no one (not even yourself), and is for the greatest good of all concerned it's ALL good and fine to do.

Many Wicans tend to believe that when we die we rest for a while and are reborn into another lifetime. Each lifetime is intended as a lesson that we must learn and master.

No, we do NOT hate Christians, although we would be understood if we did. Christianity has persecuted Witches ever since it came into existence, soley because we do NOT worship the same concept of God as they do. But most of us do NOT HATE them. It's the other way around, THEY hate US. That is mainly out of FEAR, and an unwillingness to simply get to know us as people. But then again we are NOT the only other Religion that they hate so we don't feel as though WE are being singled out for their hatreds.

Yes, we DO believe in God, and Goddess too. Goddess and God are known to us by MANY names. Wicca is NOT just ONE Religion. it is a whole bunch of Religions but we ALL tend to support each other and accept that whichever God or Goddess is worshipped that it's just as valid as our own. We go with the concept that what ever god or Goddess that is being worship is correct and proper for that person doing the worshipping, as long as it works for that person. We tend to be very tolerant of other beliefs as a result of that ourlook and even see the validity of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam and can appreciate how those Religions work for their followers.

I hope that this gives you a little bit of insight into OUR Religions. I believe that if we can help folks to know a bit about us that there won't be as much fear of us and once the fear is gone, then understanding and tolerance can come as well.

Brightest Blessings,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 3

-----Intro
I'll go over your questions one by one. Expect my answers to differ from other replies, as there are different branches of Wicca. I've been studying it about 6 years. At the end I'll include some sites on the net that you may want to check out for further reference.
-----Is it evil?
What do you mean by that? It's credo is 'harm none' if that helps at all. And if they do chose to harm, they have a Karmic rule. A.k.a. it is DEFINITELY not in their best interest to harm others.
-----Does it worship Satan?
No. Wiccans do not believe in an all-evil entity such as Satan, let alone worship him.
-----Who is their god?
Actually, there is the 'All' and two aspects of it: The God and the Goddess, or the Lord and Lady of the Isles. In some sects of Wicca (yes there are sects, such as Gardnerian Wicca and Dianic Wicca) they only worship the Goddess.
-----What is it about? Is it about magic? Can you really cast spells? Do the spells really work?
No, it is not about magic. Wicca is a religion, not some Harry Potter cult. Spells can be cast, but again, you won't see Wiccans outside flying broomsticks. It's not that kind of magic. Spells can be dangerous, and I wouldn't recommend anyone new to try them. It's more about influence of energy, and spells must follow the Rede. Someone who merely does magic is a witch, but witchcraft is not a religion. One may be a witch and not a Wiccan or pagan. One may be a pagan and not a witch.
-----What do they believe happens when they die?
Usually reincarnation. A person is born, lives, dies, enters a limbo-like place, is reborn, <--- repeated many times. Then the person eventually goes to the Summerland. Some sects believe that the Summerland is the previously-mentioned limbo-like place.
-----Do they hate Christians?
That's like asking "Do Christians like racoons?" You may find some Wiccans who dislike Christians. You may find some like me who are best friends with born-agains. All depends on the person.
----Do they believe in God?
I believe that I already answered that. But if you mean the Biblical 'God' than the answer is "no". There are no holy texts in Wicca. However there are some well known pieces of work such as The Goddess Chant and The Charge of the Goddess.
-----Other
Wicca is a pagan religion, started in the mid-1900s. Credit for its creation is given to Gerald Gardner. Some other well-known modern pagan religions are Shamanism, Druidism, and Satanism. Scott Cunningham is a good author for newbies.
----Sites
www.witchvox.com
www.religioustolerance.org
-----Silver Ravenwolf
Stay away from Silver Ravenwolf. She gives bad advice that strays from the Rede, she has unreliable credentials, and she writes 'fluffy' works. What do I mean by fluffy? Basically the view that Wicca is bunnies and rainbows and your actions don't have consequences, et cetera. Plus, she is a Christian-basher and doesn't cite some inportant claims she proposes.

Answer 4

Is it evil? No, as a matter of fact, wiccans don't believe in such a thing as -evil- necessarily. There's good and bad, but there's some of each in each one.

Does it worship Satan? He's a christian dude, hun. Doesn't exsist within wicca. Like I said-there's no ultimate good and no ultimate evil.

Who is their god? MAINLY there's the Lord and the Lady-a god and goddess, then several other gods and goddesses amongst them-be they children, siblings, mortals that somehow went through a change to become gods,etc.

What is it about? THAT is too vast for me to cover. Pick up a book that's not by Silver Ravenwolf, or head over to witchvox.com.

Is it about Magic? Yes, there's magic/magick/majik/however you'd like to spell it, involved.

Can you really cast spells? Yes, and I do frequently.

Do the spells really work? Yes.

Please tell me everything because I have no clue what it really is about? ...The spells? That question kind of lost me, hun.

What do they believe happens when they die? The majority of them believe we head on to another exsistance to wait for reincarnation. Everyone goes there, bad or good. The Summerlands is the most commonly used term.

Do they hate christians? Some do, some don't. And you don't have to be wiccan to hate a christian. Personally, I dislike the majority of christians because all they want to do is preach to me and that annoys the hell out of me-I know it's part of their religion, but sheesh. I've heard it all before. And I'm not wiccan. I'm an eclectic pagan.

Do they believe in God? They believe in several. =)

Answer 5

A polytheistic Neo-Pagan nature religion inspired by various pre-Christian western European beliefs, whose central deity is a mother goddess and which includes the use of herbal magic and benign witchcraft. A group or community of believers or followers of this religion. Most Christians will not admit this but as far as other religions go Wicca is not a bad way to live. Some basic Christian thoughts are from Wicca. As well as some other pre-christian practices. There is a ton of things taken from the Pagans that Christians practice on a daily basis.

Answer 6

It is to be a good religion. We don't believe in the Devil/Satan. We have Gods and Goddesses, the Earth is an equal balance including gender, you choose which God/Goddess and why. It is about the Wicca rede and the Threefold Law. Casting spells is no different than prayer.
*In going forth and doing as ye will as long as it harms none is not a hate breeding religion. *
Only hateful people are responsible for that emotion.
It ~to me~ asks of you to be compassionate, responsible, and spiritual.

Answer 7

The Wicca religion is simple. First, they believe in no God, they worship nature. They do magic, most of their spells are helpful spells, but there are some that are darker (these are few). As for the spells working, that is all based on perception, most say they do. Others say they don't. Wiccans are very tolerant of other religions, they are as peaceful as they come. When you die, they believe you return to mother earth. Anything more in depth than that, you should google the Wicca Fayth.

Answer 8

dlbt21 - "First, they believe in no God, they worship nature"

Uh.... no. Wiccans most definitely believe in the God and Goddess, and we believe that the spark of the Divine is found in everything - including nature.

But just because we honor the spark of the Divine that's in the tree doesn't mean that we worship the tree. I recognize the spark of the Divine in my co-worker. That sure doesn't mean I think he's God.

For the original poster:

This is a pretty decent summary that should answer most of your questions:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/wic_usbk.htm

Wiccans worship the sacred as immanent in Nature, often personified as Mother Earth and Father Sky. As polytheists, they may use many other names for Deity. Individuals will often choose Goddesses or Gods from any of the world's pantheons whose stories are particularly inspiring and use those Deities as a focus for personal devotions. Similarly, covens will use particular Deity names as a group focus, and these are often held secret by the groups. It is very important to be aware that Wiccans do not in any way worship or believe in "Satan," "the Devil," or any similar entities. They point out that "Satan" is a symbol of rebellion against and inversion of the Christian and Jewish traditions. Wiccans do not revile the Bible. They simply regard it as one among many of the world's mythic systems, less applicable than some to their core values, but still deserving just as much respect as any of the others.

Most Wiccan groups also practice magic, by which they mean the direction and use of "psychic energy," those natural but invisible forces which surround all living things. Some members spell the word "magick," to distinguish it from sleight of hand entertainments. Wiccans employ such means as dance, chant, creative visualization and hypnosis to focus and direct psychic energy for the purpose of healing, protecting and aiding members in various endeavors. Such assistance is also extended to non-members upon request.

Many, but not all, Wiccans believe in reincarnation. Some take this as a literal description of what happens to people when they die. For others, it is a symbolic model that helps them deal with the cycles and changes within this life. Neither Reincarnation nor any other literal belief can be used as a test of an individual's validity as a member of the Old Religion.

Most groups have a handwritten collection of rituals and lore, known as a Book of Shadows. Part of the religious education of a new member will be to hand copy this book for him or herself. Over they years, as inspiration provides, new material will be added. Normally, access to these books is limited to initiated members of the religion.

(There's a lot more to read at the link, this is just a sample.)

Yes, Wiccans do magic. No, it's not "about Magic". It's about honoring the God and Goddess. Magic is only a small part of it, and not all Wiccans practice magic.

We don't do spells that affect others without their permission. We don't do "make this guy fall in love with me" spells or "make this girl suffer because she was mean to me" spells. The main ethical statement of Wicca is "As long as it harms none (including yourself), do as you like." Mucking with the free will of others qualifies as "harm".

No, as a general group we don't "hate christians" nor do we "hate Christianity". And we DO believe in the God - just not the Judeo-Christian interpretation of Him.

Answer 9

"Is it evil?"
No, but it depends on what you mean by evil.
"Does it worship Satan?"
Some of the subsets of wiccan involves black magic, though I don't think the worship of Satan is practiced, but some do apparently.
"Who is their god?"
There are different types of wiccans, i think some of them doesn't have any gods.

Since you ask too much, i'll redirect you to the link below to know more stuff about them. Just don't take my word for it, do more research just to make sure.

Answer 10

Click on Wiccan found in site of divination. Its Hindu belief relying on magic and sorcery like theme of Harry the Potter movie. It also involves foretelling the future through stars. Its a emerging religion of new world order.